Dreaming Turtles Oblivia & KlangLab

Event Introduction

Imagine that the era of humankind on this planet is over and instead turtles – slow, friendly, ancient – roam the earth and the sea. Would they dream of these strange primates once called humans who had their chance on this world, but failed so miserably?  

In the music theatre performance Dreaming Turtles, the internationally renowned Finnish performance group Oblivia and the Basel-based ensemble for experimental music KlangLab transform themselves into exactly that: dreaming, floating, dancing and singing turtles. 

Witty, sometimes comical and bordering on the absurd, Dreaming Turtles creates a world in which some of the serenity and playfulness that was last found on Earth before humans entered the scene returns – and which may return when we’re gone. But within that dreamlike, imaginative approach to life that the turtles share with us lies a speck of hope that shimmers for humanity still: a possibility and a promise which lies in community and kindness.

Dreaming Turtles is the third and final part of Oblivia’s Turn Turtle Turn cycle, which explores ideas, visions and concepts of the Anthropocene. It first premiered in June 2026 at the Klang Festival in Copenhagen.

“Experimental, unsettling and quietly tender”

– Agnete Seerup, Seismograf

Note! An artist talk on Saturday 13 February following the performance. The discussion will be moderated by Tuuli Lindeberg, Artistic Director of the Musica nova Helsinki festival.

Performers and creative team:

Concept, devising, dramaturgy: Oblivia

On stage: Oblivia / Timo Fredriksson, Anna-Maija Terävä, Annika Tudeer, Juha Valkeapää and Yiran Zhao: synthesizer and electronics & KlangLab / Dino Georgeton: electric oud and percussion; Christopher Moy: e-guitar; Zacarias Maia: objects and percussion

Music: Yiran Zhao & KlangLab

Sound design: Mikael Szafirowski

Light design, set: Stine Hertel

Costume design: Tua Helve

Production: Jenny Nordlund

Communication, marketing: Essi Brunberg & RÖD (Jenni Salminen and Katja Tolonen)

Co-production: Oblivia (Helsinki), KlangLab (Basel), Klang Festival (Copenhagen), Gare du Nord (Basel)

In co-operation with and supported by:

Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, City of Helsinki, Amos Anderson Fond, Stiftelsen Tre Smeder, Samuel Hubers konststiftelse, Eugène, Elisabeth och Birgit Nygréns stiftelse, Emilie och Rudolf Gesellius stiftelse, William Thurings stiftelse, Goethe-Institut Finnland, Abteilung Kultur Basel-Stadt.

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